Question

Researchers trained pigs to pick up large wooden "dollars" and deposit them in a piggy bank. Instead of picking up the wooden discs, the pigs would drop them, push them with their snouts, and then pick them up to put them in the piggy bank. This behavior best illustrates

instinctive drift (T/F).

Answer 1

The pigs' behavior illustrates instinctive drift, where innate behaviors override conditioned responses despite training.

Step-by-step explanation:

The behavior of the pigs, as described, best illustrates instinctive drift. This term refers to the tendency of an animal to revert to instinctive behaviors that interfere with a conditioned response. Despite being trained to pick up and deposit wooden dollars into a piggy bank, the pigs began to exhibit their natural foraging behaviors—such as pushing objects with their snouts—which are inherent in their species. This example shows how powerful innate behaviors can be and how they can sometimes override learned behaviors, even when animals are trained using operant conditioning techniques. The natural tendencies of the pigs drifted to the fore, demonstrating how deeply rooted and influential innate behaviors are within an animal's repertoire of actions.

Answer 2

The correct Answer for the exercise: Researchers trained pigs to pick up large wooden "dollars" and deposit them in a piggy bank. Instead of picking up the wooden discs, the pigs would drop them, push them with their snouts, and then pick them up to put them in the piggy bank. This behavior best illustrates: instinctive drift (T/F). Is "T"

Step-by-step explanation:

First of all, we need to understand the concept and then analyze the context to know why T is the correct answer. Now, Instinctive drift is the concept given to name the situation in which a conditioned animal behaves with its instinct instead of presenting it's conditioned behavior or presenting instinctive behavior that interferes with the conditioned behavior. In our case the piggies perform the conditioned behavior but after they act instinctively.